/TZKXTKZRG_KXVXUZUIURY /6\K^ZKTYOUTY IPv6 includes an improved option mechanism over IPv4. Instead of placing extra options bytes within the main header, IPv6 options are placed in separate extension headers that are located between the IPv6 header and the transport layer header in a packet. Most IPv6 extension headers are not examined or processed by routers along a packet’s path until it arrives at its final destination. This leads to a major improvement in router performance for packets containing options. In IPv4 the presence of any options requires the router to examine all options. IPv6 extension headers can be of arbitrary length and the total amount of options carried in a packet is not limited to 40 bytes as with IPv4. They are also not carried within the main header, as with IPv4, but are only used when needed, and are carried behind the main header. This feature plus the manner in which they are processed, permits IPv6 options to be used for functions, which were not practical in IPv4. Good examples of this are the IPv6 authentication and security encapsulation options. In order to improve the performance when handling subsequent option headers and the transport protocol which follows, IPv6 options are always an integer multiple of 8 octets long, in order to retain this alignment for subsequent headers. The IPv6 extension headers currently defined are: • Routing header (for extended routing, similar to the IPv4 loose source route). • Fragment header (for fragmentation and reassembly). • Authentication header (for integrity and authentication). • Encrypted security payload (for confidentiality). • Hop-by-hop options header (for special options that require hop-by-hop processing). • Destination options header (for optional information to be examined by the destination node). Figure 6.19 Carrying IPv6 extension headers /6\GJJXKYYKY IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long and are identifiers for individual interfaces or sets of interfaces. IPv6 Addresses of all types are assigned to interfaces (i.e. network interface Cards) and NOT to nodes i.e. hosts. Since each interface belongs to a single node, any of 6XGIZOIGR:)6/6GTJ+ZNKXTKZ4KZ]UXQOTM that node’s interface’s unicast addresses may be used as an identifier for the node. A single interface may be assigned multiple IPv6 addresses of any type. There are three types of IPv6 addresses. These are unicast, anycast, and multicast. • Unicast addresses identify a single interface • Anycast addresses identify a set of interfaces such that a packet sent to an anycast address will be delivered to one member of the set • Multicast addresses identify a group of interfaces, such that a packet sent to a multicast address is delivered to all of the interfaces in the group. There are no broadcast addresses in IPv6, their function being superseded by multicast addresses The IPv6 address is four times the length of IPv4 addresses (128 vs 32). This is 4 billion times 4 billion (2 96 ) times the size of the IPv4 address space (2 32 ). This works out to be 340 282 366 920 938 463 463 374 607 431 768 211 456. Theoretically this is approximately 665 570 793 348 866 943 898 599 addresses per square meter of the surface of the planet Earth (assuming the Earth surface is 511 263 971 197 990 square meters). In more practical terms, considering that the creation of addressing hierarchies, which reduces the efficiency of the usage of the address space, IPv6 is still expected to support between 8×10 17 to 2×10 33 nodes. Even the most pessimistic estimate provides around 1500 addresses per square meter of the surface of planet Earth. The leading bits in the address indicate the specific type of IPv6 address. The variable- length field comprising these leading bits is called the format prefix (FP). The current allocation of these prefixes is as follows: Figure 6.20 IPv6 address ranges This allocation supports the direct allocation of global unicast addresses, local use addresses, and multicast addresses. Space is reserved for NSAP addresses, IPX addresses, and geographic-based unicast addresses. The remainder of the address space is unassigned for future use. This can be used for expansion of existing use (e.g., additional /TZKXTKZRG_KXVXUZUIURY provider addresses, etc) or new uses (e.g., separate locators and identifiers). Note that anycast addresses are not shown here because they are allocated out of the unicast address space. Approximately fifteen per cent of the address space is initially allocated. The remaining 85% is reserved for future use. ;TOIGYZGJJXKYYKY There are several forms of unicast address assignment in IPv6. These are: • Global unicast addresses • Unspecified addresses • Loopback addresses • IPv4-based addresses • Site local addresses • Link local addresses -RUHGR[TOIGYZGJJXKYYKY These addresses are used for global communication. They are similar in function to IPv4 addresses under CIDR. Their format is: Figure 6.21 Address format: Global unicast address The first 3 bits identify the address as a global unicast address. The next, 13-bit, field (TLA) identifies the top level aggregator. This number will be used to identify the relevant Internet ‘exchange point’, or long-haul (‘backbone’) provider. These numbers (8192 of them) will be issued by IANA, to be further distributed via the three regional registries (ARIN, RIPE and APNIC), who could possibly further delegate the allocation of sub-ranges to national or regional registries such as the French NIC managed by INRIA for French networks. The third, 32-bit, field (NLA) identifies the next level aggregator. This will probably be structured by long-haul providers to identify a second-tier provider by means of the first n bits, and to identify a subscriber to that second-tier provider by means of the remaining 32–n bits. The fourth, 16-bit, field is the SLA or site local aggregator. This will be allocated to a link within a site, and is not associated with a registry or service provider. In other words, it will remain unchanged despite a change of service provider. Its closest equivalent in IPv4 would be the ‘NetID’. The last field is the 64-bit interface ID. This is the equivalent of the ‘HostID’ in IPv4. However, instead of an arbitrary number it would consist of the hardware address of the interface, e.g. the Ethernet MAC address. • All identifiers will be 64 bits long even if there are only a few devices on the network • Where possible these identifiers will be based on the IEEE EUI-64 format Existing 48-bit MAC addresses are converted to EUI-64 format by splitting them in the middle and inserting the string FF-FE in between the two halves. 6XGIZOIGR:)6/6GTJ+ZNKXTKZ4KZ]UXQOTM Figure 6.22 Converting a 48-bit MAC address to EUI-64 format ;TYVKIOLOKJGJJXKYYKY This can be written as 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0, or simply ‘::’ (double colon). This address can be used as a source address by a station that has not yet been configured with an IP address. It can never be used as a destination address. This is similar to 0.0.0.0 in IPv4. 2UUVHGIQGJJXKYYKY The loopback address 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 can be used by a node to send a datagram to itself. It is similar to the 127.0.0.1 of IPv4. /6\HGYKJGJJXKYYKY It is possible to construct an IPv6 address out of an existing IPv4 address. This is done by prepending 96 zero bits to a 32-bit IPv4 address. The result is written as 0:0:0:0:0:0:192.100.100.3, or simply ::192.100.100.3. 9OZKRUIGR[TOIGYZGJJXKYYKY Site local addresses are partially equivalent of the IPv4 private addresses. The site local addressing prefix 111 1110 11 has been reserved for this purpose. A typical site local address will consist of this prefix, a set of 38 zeros, a subnet ID, and the interface identifier. Site local addresses cannot be routed in the Internet, but only between two stations on a single site. The last 80 bits of a site local address are identical to the last 80 bits of a global unicast address. This allows for easy renumbering where a site has to be connected to the Internet. Figure 6.23 Site-local unicast addresses 2OTQRUIGR[TOIGYZGJJXKYYKY Stations that are not yet configured with either a provider-based address or a site local address may use link local addresses. Theses are composed of the link local prefix, 1111 1110 10, a set of 0s, and an interface identifier. These addresses can only be used by stations connected to the same local network and packets addressed in this way cannot traverse a router. /TZKXTKZRG_KXVXUZUIURY Figure 6.24 Link-local unicast addresses 'T_IGYZGJJXKYYKY An IPv6 anycast address is an address that is assigned to more than one interface (typically belonging to different nodes), with the property that a packet sent to an anycast address is routed to the ‘nearest’ interface having that address, according to the routing protocols’ measure of distance. Anycast addresses, when used as part of a route sequence, permits a node to select which of several internet service providers it wants to carry its traffic. This capability is sometimes called ‘source selected policies’. This would be implemented by configuring anycast addresses to identify the set of routers belonging to Internet service providers (e.g. one anycast address per Internet service provider). These anycast addresses can be used as intermediate addresses in an IPv6 routing header, to cause a packet to be delivered via a particular provider or sequence of providers. Other possible uses of anycast addresses are to identify the set of routers attached to a particular subnet, or the set of routers providing entry into a particular routing domain. Anycast addresses are allocated from the unicast address space, using any of the defined unicast address formats. Thus, anycast addresses are syntactically indistinguishable from unicast addresses. When a unicast address is assigned to more than one interface, thus turning it into an anycast address, the nodes to which the address is assigned must be explicitly configured to know that it is an anycast address. 3[RZOIGYZGJJXKYYKY An IPv6 multicast address is an identifier for a group of interfaces. An interface may belong to any number of multicast groups. Multicast addresses have the following format: Figure 6.25 Address format: IPv6 multicast The 11111111 (0xFF) at the start of the address identify the address as being a multicast address. • FLGS. Four bits are reserved for flags. The first 3 bits are currently reserved, and set to 0. The last bit (the one on the right) is called T for ‘transient’. T = 0 indicates a permanently assigned (‘well-known’) multicast address, assigned by IANA, while T = 1 indicates a non-permanently assigned (‘transient’) multicast address . not practical in IPv4. Good examples of this are the IPv6 authentication and security encapsulation options. In order to improve the performance when handling subsequent option headers and. and the total amount of options carried in a packet is not limited to 40 bytes as with IPv4. They are also not carried within the main header, as with IPv4, but are only used when needed, and. the IPv4 loose source route). • Fragment header (for fragmentation and reassembly). • Authentication header (for integrity and authentication). • Encrypted security payload (for confidentiality).